Service for mapping ip addresses to user segments

ABSTRACT

A system is disclosed that uses behavioral data collected by ISPs to categorize particular ISP subscribers. The behavioral data may, for example, include the identities of particular web sites and/or web pages accessed by particular subscribers, the search queries used by the subscribers to conduct Internet searches, and/or other types of behavioral information. The ISP subscribers are assigned to particular behavioral categories or “segments” using a behavioral segmentation schema that maps particular subscriber behaviors to particular behavioral segments. The ISP subscribers may also be mapped to other segment types, such as demographic segments derived from off-line data about the subscribers. The subscriber-to-segment mappings are made available to content targeting entities via a query interface that, for example, supports queries of the form “what are the segments associated with IP address X?”

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is being filed concurrently with, and is based onsubstantially the same disclosure as, a U.S. application titledBEHAVIORAL SEGMENTATION USING ISP-COLLECTED BEHAVIORAL DATA, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

This disclosure relates to computer-processes for using ISP-collectedbehavioral data to ascertain preferences of Internet users. In addition,this disclosure relates to computer processes for associating particularIP addresses with particular user categories or segments including butnot limited to, behavioral segments.

2. Description of the Related Art

In an increasingly digital world, the technical challenge of providingthe right content to the right people at the right time is an importantgoal throughout media, both for advertisers and other types of contentproviders. This goal is becoming increasingly difficult as expansion ofdigital media is providing greater consumer choice and more diffuseviewership. Digital media is also providing the ability to directlytarget individuals or households. The ability to use geographic data,demographic data, and behavioral data to target those people has beenshown to improve results, such as increased viewing, increasedreadership, and increased advertising responses. The use of thisinformation creates a dichotomy as consumers are generally interested inan engaging experience that is highly relevant to their desires, butthey are also concerned about the privacy of their information and wishto control what parties have access to their personally identifiableinformation.

Currently, online targeting is executed in a few ways. Marketing on websites that are likely to draw target audiences is a basic way to attemptto make advertising more effective. However, this requires significantresearch into trends in potential customers' interests and web browsinghabits. Despite these expenses, advertisement placement selections arestill likely to be both under- and over-inclusive, meaning that bothinterested targets would not see the advertisement and uninterestednon-targets would see the advertisement. A few general techniques havedeveloped that can allow content providers, including advertisers, toprovide more targeted information. One is self-reported data. Through aweb site registration process, survey, or the like, a user may provideinformation that can be used to provide targeted content to users.However, this technique has a number of limitations. Internet users areoften reluctant to explicitly supply the types of information that areuseful for effective content targeting. In addition, the informationsupplied can typically only be used to personalize the user's experienceon the particular site that collected the information, and possibly asmall number of affiliated sites.

To reduce the need for users to register and log in, many web sites usebrowser cookies to identify users. Cookies, however, can get deletedfrom a user's computer, resulting in an inability to associate the userwith stored information about that user. Also, when a user uses multiplecomputing devices or software browsers to access a given web site, theweb site system may treat each of those entities as separate users.

Advertisers are willing to pay more for behaviorally targeted media,because response rates are demonstrably better. In fact, recent studiesshow that advertisements targeted based on the users' past behavioryields superior results when compared to advertisements that are merelycontextually placed. (Examples of contextual placement include selectingan ad based on the content of the page being viewed, or based on acurrent search query submitted by the user). Most, if not all, digitaladvertising inventory may soon be sold with a behavioral component.

As Internet technology has progressed and addressable media hasdeveloped, the information management role of the Internet ServiceProvider (ISPs) has expanded substantially. As the world moves moremedia to IP based delivery, the ISPs are in the unique position toobserve numerous interest-evidencing activities of their subscribers.ISPs, however, commonly lack the resources to effectively mine thebehavioral data to which they have access. Additionally, privacy lawsand subscribers' own privacy interests often limit the ability of ISPsto share the collected behavioral data with other entities.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to one embodiment of the invention, a system is provided thatuses behavioral data collected by ISPs to categorize particular ISPsubscribers. The behavioral data may, for example, include theidentities of particular web sites and/or web pages accessed byparticular subscribers, the search queries used by the subscribers toconduct Internet searches, and/or other types of behavioral information.The ISP subscribers are assigned to particular behavioral categories or“segments” using a behavioral segmentation schema that maps particularsubscriber behaviors to particular behavioral segments. The mappings ofsubscribers to behavioral segments are preferably updated over time(e.g., daily, hourly, or in real time) to reflect the most recentbehaviors of the subscribers. In some embodiments, the ISP subscribersmay also be mapped to other segment types, such as demographic segmentsderived from off-line data about the subscribers (e.g., data explicitlysupplied during registration with an ISP).

The subscriber-to-segment mappings are made available to advertisers andother content targeting entities via a query interface that, forexample, supports queries of the form “what are the segments associatedwith IP address X?” For example, when a user requests a particular webpage, a content targeting system that provides all or a portion of thecontent of the web page may request and retrieve the segmentation dataassociated with the user's current IP address. The content targetingsystem may use this information to select an ad or other content todisplay on the requested page. Importantly, the user may be unknown toor unrecognized by the content targeting system. Thus, for example, evenif the content targeting system/provider has no preexisting dataregarding this user or is unable to associate the user with such data,it can still provide targeted content that is based on the user's pastbrowsing activities. Further, because the ISPs can track all of theirsubscribers' web site accesses, this content can be selected based onthe user's browsing activities across numerous independent web sites.

In an embodiment, the process of mapping subscribers (and their IPaddresses) to behavioral segments is performed using behavioral datacollected by each of a plurality of ISPs. This mapping is completed, invarious embodiments, by the ISPs and/or an entity separate from theISPs, referred to as the “segmentation service provider” or “SSP.” Theresulting mappings of IP addresses to segments from across multiple ISPscan then also be aggregated by the SSP. The SSP provides access to theaggregated subscriber-to-segment mappings using the query interfacedescribed above. By aggregating the mappings across many ISPs, the SSPincreases its coverage in a given market and therefore the likelihoodthat it will be able to return subscriber-specific segmentation data fora given IP address.

In one embodiment, the task of assigning subscribers to segments isperformed by the SSP. In this embodiment, the SSP provides each ISP witha traffic processing system that collects and preprocesses clickstreamdata reflective of the internet access activities of the ISP'scustomers. The ISPs transmit this preprocessed clickstream data(preferably in real time) to a segmentation system operated by the SSP,optionally with attached anonymous demographic data (e.g., householdincome, age, etc.) corresponding to the associated subscribers. TheSSP's segmentation system uses the ISP-reported subscriber data toperiodically build a mapping of IP addresses to behavioral segments. Inanother embodiment, the task of assigning subscribers to segments isperformed at the ISP's respective locations using segmentation hardwareand/or software supplied by the SSP; in this embodiment, the ISPspreferably transmit the mappings of IP addresses to segments to the SSP.Both approaches may be used in combination.

Regardless of where the segmentation processing is performed, a commonbehavioral segmentation schema is preferably applied across all of theISPs. As a result, the segmentation mappings are effectivelystandardized across ISPs, meaning that the subscribers of all ISPs arecategorized using the same segment definitions and criteria.

The SSP may publish the segmentation schema to participating contenttargeting entities, which may use the schema in the design of theircontent selection and/or content targeting systems. The SSP may alsosupply the content targeting entities with an API (application programinterface), which may be in the form of a web service interface, forgenerating requests for segmentation data.

The system advantageously enables a content provider to provide highlyrelevant, behaviorally targeted content to a user even if any one ormore of the following conditions exists: (1) the user is unknown to orunrecognized by the targeted content provider; (2) the subscriber hasnever previously accessed a web property of, or associated with, thetargeted content provider; (3) the request from the subscriber'sbrowser/computer does not include a cookie, or a least does not includea cookie set by the targeted content provider; (4) the targeted contentprovider considers its information about a known user to beinsufficient; or (5) the SSP has information from the content providersabout the subscribers that the content provider may be unable to look upin a timely fashion. These benefits are provided without exposing anyinformation that personally identifies the subscriber (e.g., name,address, or phone number) to the targeted content provider.

In some embodiments, the SSP's system may update particularIP-to-segment mappings substantially in real time between segmentationbuilds. For example, the SSP's system may perform a segmentation build(i.e., generate a new set of mappings) every 24 hours, and updateselected mappings as real time clickstream data is received from theISPs. These updates may be performed “on demand” as requests arereceived from targeted content providers, such that responses to theserequests reflect the subscribers' most recent browsing activities. Forexample, when the SSP's system receives a request for the segmentsassociated with a particular IP address/subscriber, it may use any newclickstream data received for this subscriber since the lastsegmentation build to update the subscriber's IP-to-segment mappings. Ifthe request from the targeted content provider specifies the URL of thepage being requested by the subscriber, the SSP may additionally usethis URL to update the subscriber's mapping.

In some embodiments, the SSP's system is also capable of generating andserving non-subscriber-specific profile or segment data for IP addressesof non-participating or “out-of-network” ISPs. This may be accomplishedin various ways. For example, in one embodiment, each ISP supplies theSSP with collected behavioral data arranged by ZIP code. The SSPaggregates this data across ISPs and ZIP codes, and applies a behavioralsegmentation process to this aggregated data to assign each ZIP code toone or more behavioral segments. When a content targeting entityrequests the segment IDs for an out-of-network IP address (or one forwhich subscriber-specific data is otherwise unavailable), the SSP'ssystem looks up all or a portion of the ZIP code corresponding to the IPaddress; the SSP then uses this information to look up and return thecorresponding location-based segments. The SSP's system may additionallyor alternatively return other types of location-based segment/profiledata in this scenario, such as demographic segment data obtained fromvarious off-line sources. Further, the SSP may incorporate usage data orrecent browsing activity associated with the IP address from therequesting content provider or similar content providers connecting tothe SSP system.

Neither this summary nor the following detailed description purports todefine the invention. The invention is defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various features of thedisclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. Thedrawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrateembodiments of the invention and not to limit its scope. Throughout thedrawings, reference numbers are re-used to indicate correspondencebetween referenced elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a high level diagram of the general components of anembodiment of a system as contemplated by the disclosure herein.

FIG. 2A illustrates a detailed view of an embodiment of a system ascontemplated by the disclosure depicting elements involved in buildingbehavioral segmentations.

FIG. 2B illustrates a detailed view of an embodiment of a system ascontemplated by the disclosure depicting elements involved inmaintaining segments assigned to the correct households.

FIG. 2C illustrates a detailed view of an embodiment of a system ascontemplated by the disclosure depicting elements involved in providingsegments to a content provider such that a content provider cancustomize content provided to a specific user.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method ascontemplated by the disclosure herein.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method ascontemplated by the disclosure herein.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process forproviding the segmentation information to advertisers for use increating targeted advertising.

FIG. 6 is an illustrative screen shot for an embodiment of a system ofthe disclosure herein that allows segmentations to be customized.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

A system that embodies various inventions will now be described withreference to the drawings. Nothing in this description is intended toimply that any particular feature, component, or other aspect of thedisclosed system is essential.

FIG. 1 depicts a system that generates and serves subscriber-specificand region-specific segmentation data according to one embodiment of theinvention. The drawing also illustrates the various entities involved.As illustrated, a segmentation service provider (SSP) 102 works with oneor more associated Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 104 to generatesubscriber or household level segmentation data for each ISP subscriber106. The ISPs that participate in this process are referred to asbelonging to the SSP's network. Preferably, many different ISPs thatprovide Internet access in many different geographic regions are part ofthe network. As discussed below, the ISPs and SSP also preferablycooperate to generate location-based segmentation data for particularZIP codes and/or other geographic regions. As described below, thesegmentation data generated via these processes is ultimately madeavailable to targeted content providers 108, such as web site operatorsand advertisers, which use this information to target content to users.

In the illustrated embodiment, the SSP 102 provides each ISP 104 with abehavioral segmentation processing system 112 that is configured toanalyze the Internet access activities of ISP subscribers, and to assignthe subscribers to particular behavioral segments. This behavioralsegmentation process is preferably performed using a “standard”behavioral segmentation schema 110 that is supplied to the ISPs by theSSP. As discussed below, this schema maps particular types of Internetaccess behaviors, such as particular web site visits and queryterms/phrases, to particular behavioral categories or “segments.” Asillustrated by the arrow labeled “segmentation data by IP address,” thebehavioral segmentation data of each subscriber is reported to the SSP'ssystem in association with the IP address currently assigned to therespective subscriber.

In another embodiment, the task of performing subscriber-levelbehavioral segmentation is performed in-whole or in-part by the SSP. Forexample, the SSP may provide some or all of the ISPs with a trafficprocessing system that generates clickstream data reflective ofsubscriber actions, and transmits this clickstream data in real time tothe SSP's system. The SSP's system may use this data to perform periodicsubscriber-level segmentation builds. In addition, as mentioned above,the SSP may update particular IP-to-segment mappings betweensegmentation builds to incorporate the most recent clickstream data forthe corresponding subscribers.

As illustrated by the arrow labeled “behavior data by ZIP code” in FIG.1, the ISPs also preferably report the subscribers' browsing behaviorsto the SSP in association with the respective ZIP codes of thesubscribers. This allows the SSP to aggregate behavior data frommultiple ISPs and ZIP codes, and to assign particular ZIP codes orregions to particular behavioral segments based on the Internet accessactivities of the subscribers in such regions. The segmentation schemaused for this purpose may, but need not, be the same as the schema usedfor subscriber-level segmentation.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the subscriber-levelsegmentation data (preferably mappings of IP addresses to segments) andthe location-based segmentation data (preferably mappings of ZIP codesto segments) are stored in a global segmentation database 116. These twotypes of segmentation data may, of course, alternatively be stored inseparate databases.

In the illustrated embodiment, the SSP 102 also operates one or morefront end servers 118 (one shown). The front end servers implement anAPI (Application Programming Interface) 120 or other query interface forhandling real time requests for segmentation data. These requeststypically come from the servers of the targeted content providers 108,such as web site operators and ad serving entities.

For example, as depicted in FIG. 1, a targeted content provider's system108 may receive a request for a web page from an ISP subscriber 106, ormay receive a request to serve an advertisement on a web page served tothe ISP subscriber by some other entity. (In either case, the IP addressof the subscriber is available to the targeted content provider.) Inresponse, the targeted content provider's system makes an API call/queryto the front end server 118 to request segmentation data correspondingto the IP address. The front end server 118 responds by looking up andreturning segmentation data that corresponds to this IP address. Thissegmentation data may include the identifiers of one or more segments orcategories that can be used to select targeted content to provide to theuser. In some embodiments, the SSP system may update the subscriber'sIP-to-segment mapping on-the-fly at the time of this request, so thatthe returned segment identifiers reflect the most recent browsingbehaviors of the subscriber.

If the IP address corresponds to an in-network ISP, the returnedbehavioral segmentation data is typically subscriber-specific, meaningthat it is based on the past Internet access behavior of this particularsubscriber. If the IP address corresponds to an out-of-network ISP, thebehavioral segmentation data returned is location-based segmentationdata based on all or a portion of the ZIP code corresponding to the IPaddress. (A commercially available service, such as Quova, DigitalEnvoy, or Maxmind, may be used to map the IP addresses to ZIP codes). Inboth of these scenarios, the front end server may also return one ormore types of non-behavioral segment data for the particular subscriberor region, as described below.

In some embodiments, the subscriber-level mappings of IP addresses tosegments may be stored at the ISP locations to which they correspond,rather than in a central/global database maintained by the SSP. In suchembodiments, when a targeted content provider's system requests thesegments associated with an in-network ISP subscriber, the SSP's frontend server 118 may forward this request to the corresponding ISP. TheISP would then respond with the segment identifiers, which the front endserver 118 would then return to the requesting targeted contentprovider.

Although FIG. 1 depicts a direct interaction between the targetedcontent provider and the computers of the ISP subscribers, this need notbe the case. For example, the targeted content provider's system 108 maysupply the targeted content (such as an advertisement) to a server of aweb site operated by a separate entity; this server may then incorporatethe content into a web page requested by the subscriber.

It may be helpful to illustrate these concepts with an example. A givenISP subscriber may frequent gardening web sites, may review a tropicalflower blog, and enter search terms such as “orchid” and “plant seed.”These activities may occur across any number of web sites, including websites that are operated completely independently of one another. Basedon this information, the behavioral segmentation system may assign thissubscriber (and other subscribers exhibiting similar behaviors) to a“Hobbyist—Gardener” segment. A targeted content provider's system 108may then use this information (as obtained by requesting segmentationdata for the subscriber's IP address) to target the subscriber with adsor other content related to, for example, gardening tools, green housetours, and books on flowers. (To implement this feature in theadvertising context, an advertiser may tag each ad with identifiers forsegments to which it corresponds, and use these tags to dynamicallyselect ads to display.)

As illustrated by this example, the disclosed system enables the contentprovider to provide highly relevant content to the user even if any oneor more of the following conditions exists: (1) the subscriber isunknown to or unrecognized by the targeted content provider's system108; (2) the subscriber has never previously accessed a web property of,or associated with, this targeted content provider; (3) the request fromthe subscriber's browser does not include a cookie, or at least does notinclude a cookie set by the targeted content provider; (4) theinformation maintained by the targeted content provider would not, byitself, be sufficient to provide meaningful targeted content to theuser; or (5) the SSP has information from the content providers aboutthe subscribers that the content provider may be unable to look up in atimely fashion. Further, because no information that personallyidentifies the subscriber (e.g., name, address, phone number, etc.) isprovided to the targeted content provider 108, the subscriber's privacyis maintained.

Because an ISP provides the gateway for users to access the Internet,all web site requests, searches, and the like are passed through theISP's system. In so doing, the ISP may be able to derive data regardingthe users' interests. Even more, a third party segment processor cangather the information for users of multiple ISPs and is in an evenbetter position to provide segmentation modeling to categorize the usersfor marketing and content-delivery purposes.

The process used in the preferred embodiment to perform segmentationbased on subscribers' browsing behaviors is depicted in greater detailin FIG. 2A. FIG. 2A generally shows one ISP system 204 which providesservices to a number of ISP subscriber systems 206. The ISP system 204also connects to a central data system 222 which may be operated by theSSP 102. In an embodiment, the ISP system 204 includes one or moremanaged servers 224 that may include hardware and/or software providedby to the ISP by the SSP 102. The ISP system 204 further includes an ISProuter 226 and a database of account information 228. This accountinformation may include subscriber names, addresses, billinginformation, Account IDs and the like. When ISP subscribers use theirsystems 206 to make service requests (such as requesting a web page),the request is transmitted to the router 226 which forwards it to theappropriate server on a network, such as the Internet. In theillustrated embodiment, the router 226 also stores a copy of the requestin a table or database of browsing behavior data 230. This browsingbehavior data can then be used in two ways: to performsubscriber-specific segmentation and to perform location-specificsegmentation. Each will be described in turn. Prior to performingsegmentation, the managed server 224 may pre-process collectedbehavioral data using methods such as those described in U.S.application Ser. No. 09/608,135, filed Jun. 30, 2002, and U.S.application Ser. No. 10/251,621, filed Sep. 20, 2002, the disclosures ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

First, the managed servers 224 can utilize the browsing behavior toperform subscriber-level segmentation in which specific subscribers areassigned to particular behavioral segments or categories. In anembodiment, the browsing behavior data collected over some window oftime (e.g., 1 day or 1 week), together with associated IP addresses, ispassed to a behavioral segmentation processor 112 of the managed servers224. Because ISPs commonly assign IP addresses dynamically, thebehavioral events (web site accesses, search query submissions, etc.)recorded over time for a given IP address do not necessarily correspondto a single subscriber.

To address this issue, the ISP system 204 and/or managed servers 224preferably track the changes in IP address and associate them with aspecific subscriber or household, such as through a persistent key oraccount ID. This is accomplished, in an embodiment, through theIP-account ID look-up table 230. This look-up table 230 can track usageof multiple devices utilizing different IP addresses for a subscriber,i.e. the look-up table does not need to have a one-to-one correlation.While multiple IP addresses may correlate to a single account, it isless likely that multiple account IDs would be assigned to one IPaddress at a given time. For example, a subscriber may access theInternet through both a desktop “home” computer, as well as a laptop“work” computer. Even more, if, as is becoming more common, an ISPoffers services across multiple media, usage of a particular subscriberor household can be tracked for all of the services. For example, bothInternet access and digital cable television services may utilize IPaddress-based services, and an ISP may receive both Internet web siterequests from a computer and “on demand” television programming requestsfrom a digital cable box. Maintaining this table is described in greaterdetail with respect to FIG. 2B.

Once the collected browsing behavior data 230 has been subdivided byaccount ID/subscriber, the behavioral segmentation schema 110 is used todetermine which behavioral segments apply to each subscriber. Thisprocess may include a straight look-up in which specific web siteaccesses or search query submissions map to one or more behaviorsegments. Typically, some threshold level of subscriber activity isrequired before a subscriber is assigned to a particular behavioralsegment. For instance, the subscriber may have to access some thresholdnumber of unique web sites (e.g., 2) in a particular category, or mayhave to submit some number of search queries falling in a particularcategory. Other criteria may also be taken into consideration, such asamount of time spent viewing a particular site or page, the contentdisplayed on an accessed page, the percentage of time spent viewing aparticular category of site versus another site, etc. Relatively recentevents (e.g., those occurring over the last hour or 24 hours) may begiven more weight than other events.

The subscriber-to-segment mappings resulting from this process arestored in an account-to-segment database 232. This database 232 may beupdated periodically (e.g., hourly or daily) to reflect new iterationsof the segmentation process. Further, in some embodiments, the mappingsmay be updated substantially in real time as behavioral data iscollected.

In one embodiment, the managed servers 224 may also or alternativelydetermine segmentations based on other information, such as demographicinformation and the like. For example, in an embodiment, segmentationsmay be created only from demographic data or other data irrespective ofbrowsing behavior. This data may be stored in a database 234 storing“offline data.” The offline data may include demographic data, purchasedata, survey data, and the like. In an embodiment, some or all of thisdata can be keyed to a location, such as a ZIP code. In such anembodiment, the ISP account information database 228 may provide accountIDs tied to the subscriber's ZIP code. This information can then becombined with the offline data 234 by a demographic segmentationprocessor 236. The resulting segmentations may be approximations in someinstances where the offline data is keyed to ZIP codes, but, in anembodiment, the resulting segmentations are keyed to the individualaccounts. These segmentations can be added to the Account-to-Segmentdatabase 232. In an embodiment, this segmentation processing (ofbehavioral segmentation processor 112 and/or demographic segmentationprocessor 236) occurs at various times, such as periodically, duringsystem lulls, based on a maximum wait time, triggered by new browsingactivity, or the like.

The segmentation data stored in the Account-to-Segment Database 232 willbe transmitted to the central data system for storage in the globalsegmentation database 116 at various times. To be useful for externalsystems, however, the segmentations are generally keyed back to the IPaddresses. The IP-Account ID look-up table 230 can thus be used totranslate the segmentations (238) and send the resulting IP-keyedsegmentation data 240 to the global segmentation database 116. Thisaccount to IP address translation may occur more often than thesegmentation creation, to help ensure that the IP address currentlyassigned to the subscriber is reflected in the global segmentationdatabase 116. For example, each time the IP-Account ID look-up table 230is altered with a new IP assignment, a portion or all of theaccount-to-segment database 232 may be translated and sent to the globalsegmentation database 116. This would preferably be done where theAccount ID-IP address translation processor 238 can translate smallportions of the account-to-segment database 232 for transmission, thusreducing the processing capacity and bandwidth required to update andtransmit the segmentations created by the managed servers 224. Forexample, only segmentation mappings for one subscriber may need to beupdated when that subscriber is assigned a new IP address, such as byresetting his router.

As mentioned above, the system may provide location-based segmentations.While unreliable for the building of behavioral segments, an IP addressalone can be used to establish the country of origin of a current userwith a high degree of accuracy. In some instances, IP addresses can beused to approximate locations of subscribers/users down to the region,city or, in the US, even the ZIP code level. Thus, if the globalsegmentation database 116 does not recognize an IP address during aquery, it can instead supply location-based segmentation data for thelocation associated with the IP address. This may occur, for example,when a targeted content provider 108 seeks segmentation information foran out-of-network subscriber 107 (see FIG. 1).

The browsing behavior 230 of a number of ISP subscribers 106 can beassociated with the ZIP codes, or some other location identifier, ofthose ISP subscribers (perhaps through the use of ISP accountinformation 228). This location-based data can be gathered from one ormore ISP systems 204. In an embodiment, this location-based data isprocessed in much the same way as the managed server 224 processesIP-based data. As the browsing behavior is keyed to a locationidentifier, which is generally static, however, the locationsegmentation typically does not need to deal with the same translationissues for the non-static IP address mappings. The ZIP segmentationprocessor 114 may combine the browsing behavior 230 from multiple ISPs104 and may preferably utilize the same behavioral segmentation schemaas the managed server's behavioral schema 110 to create behaviorsegmentations that are keyed by location—typically ZIP code or ZIP+4—andstored in a ZIP-to-segment database 242. Offline data 244 can be used tocreate demographic or other segmentations. The offline data 244 willcorrelate to offline data 234 in an embodiment; in another, offline data234 and offline data 244 may be the same and stored in a single locationthat is accessible by both the managed servers 224 and central datasystem 222. The ZIP-to-segment data 242 is added to the globalsegmentation database 116, in an embodiment, allowing a single query tothat database to return segmentation data based on either the IP addressassociated with the query or the approximate or actual location of theIP address or both in various embodiments.

In one embodiment, the location-based segmentations are primarily usedto be able to approximate segmentation for a given ISP subscriber 106who may (1) subscribe to an ISP 104 that does not provide behavior datato the SSP 102 or (2) may opt out of providing behavior data based ontheir own browsing behavior. A subscriber 106 may be able to opt out ofauthorizing use of this information. The ISP account informationdatabase 228 may include this opt-in or opt-out information, and theAccount ID and/or associated IP address may be flagged to preventprocessing of that user's browsing behavior on an individual/householdbasis. In an embodiment, the subscriber's browsing behavior may still beutilized for location-based segmentation processing. In anotherembodiment, this processing may also be restricted.

One of skill in the art will understand that the processing describedherein is representative only. The distribution and management of thevarious databases and processing modules may change in differentembodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Forexample, the ISP system 204 may conduct much of the processing on itsown hardware, while the segmentation processing provider 102 providesthe segmentation schema to the ISP system 204. Databases depicted hereinmay comprise multiple physical databases, be combined as portions of asingle physical database, and the like.

With the segmentations built, FIG. 2B illustrates the portions of thesystem that update the assignments of subscribers to segments and helpensure that IP addresses are associated with the proper segmentations.In the illustrated embodiment, the ISP system's IP allocation server 246works with the managed servers 224 to keep the IP address-Account IDlook-up table 230 up to date. Typically, each time an ISP subscribersystem 206 connects to its associated ISP system 204, the ISP system 204assigns an IP address to the subscriber system 206. As such, this IPaddress may vary each time a subscriber system connects. The IPallocation server 246 allocates the IP addresses to the ISP subscribersystems 206. In an embodiment, the IP allocation server forwards a copyof this assignment to the IP-Account ID look-up table 230 and the tableis updated to reflect that the subscriber system 206 associated with agiven account is currently utilizing the new IP address. In anembodiment, the account-IP translation processor 238 observes thisupdate, and amends the IP-segment database 240, based on theaccount-segment database 232. This update is then propagated to theglobal IP database 116. This process allows the account-segment database232 to remain more stable, and perhaps be rebuilt less while lesseningthe risk that queries of the global IP database 116 would reflectoutdated IP-segmentation pairings. In an embodiment, if the subscriber206 has opted out of allowing subscriber or household level segmentationprocessing, the IP-segment database 240 and, in turn, the global IPdatabase 116 may indicate that the currently assigned IP address matchesto an opt out code, a null set segmentation, or the like.

The purpose for this IP-segmentation pairing is more apparent in viewingFIG. 2C, which illustrates how the segmentations can be used to providetargeted content. As shown, the central data system 222 will generallyprovide other parties with access to the segmentation data stored in theglobal IP database 116. As described above, this may be through a frontend server 118, which may include an API 120 or other interface forquerying the database 116. When a subscriber 106 makes a servicerequest, such as a request for a web page, the request is typicallyrouted through the ISP system 204's ISP router 226 to the providersystem, such as a web server. In some cases, this may be a targetedcontent provider system 208. When the requested web page can includetargeted content, the provider system 208 may query the central datasystem 222 to retrieve segmentation data on which to determine whatcontent to provide to the subscriber system 206. The targeted contentprovider system 208 generally receives only the IP address of thesubscriber system making the request. Using this IP address, the contentprovider system 208 may utilize an API client 248 to submit a querythrough the front end server's 118 API 120. Such a query may reflect“what segments are associated with [X] IP address?” or “is [X] IPaddress associated with segmentation [Y]?”

The front end server queries the global IP database 116 and provides theappropriate response to the targeted content provider system 208. If thesubscriber system 206 is associated with an ISP system, the global IPdatabase should include segmentation data corresponding to thesubscriber/household having the currently assigned IP address matchingthe IP address of the request. In an embodiment, associated ISPs arethose that supply traffic data and communicate with the segmentprocessor system 104, while those that are not associated do not supplysuch information. If the subscriber's ISP is an out-of-network ISP, theIP address will typically be translated to an estimated or identifiedlocation indicator, such as a ZIP code or ZIP+4 code, and the global IPdatabase 116 will provide approximated segmentation data based on thelocation indicator. The targeted content provider system 208 can thenuse the segmentation data to choose appropriate content to include inthe web page or other requested service. This requested content is thenprovided to the subscriber system 206 through the ISP system 204.

This process of looking up and serving the segment data for an IPaddress preferably occurs substantially in real time (e.g., in less than½ second). Thus, when the process is invoked in response to a pagerequest from a user, the segmentation data may be supplied to thetargeted content provider's system, and associated content selected,before the page is rendered.

For example, a subscriber 106, assigned IP address 12.34.56.78, mayrequest the ESPN.com home page, which may include customizable contentfor the viewer. The request is sent to the ESPN server (targeted contentprovider system 208) through the ISP router 226. The ESPN server thenqueries the central data system 222 through its front end server 118,using the ESPN server API client 248. The query may represent “Is thesubscriber assigned IP address 12.34.56.78 associated with a ‘SportsFan—Baseball’ segmentation or a ‘Sports Fan—Football’ segmentation?” Inthe example, the subscriber uses an affiliated ISP system, so his or herdata has been analyzed and segments have been assigned to IP address12.34.56.78. The global IP database 116 is checked for the segmentationassociations of that IP address and returns, for example, “SportsFan—Football” to the ESPN server. The ESPN server may then customize theESPN.com homepage so that the headline story is an NFL story. Anotheruser may instead be included in the “Sports Fan—Baseball” segmentationand be provided with a headline story regarding the upcoming MLB playoffseries.

Of course, other content can be customized as well, such as, forexample, web page advertisements. In such a case, the targeted contentprovider system 208 may be a web server as in the example above, or maybe an advertisement provider contracted by a web server.

Other options for connecting to and obtaining segmentation informationare also contemplated. For example, a direct connect system 250 may havedirect access to the global IP database 116 in an embodiment. In afurther embodiment, an ISP system may include an internal contentselector 252 that accesses the global IP database 116 without beingrouted through external systems. This content selected 252 may be ableto access the managed servers' databases, such as IP-segment database240 or account-segment database 232, in still another embodiment. Aninternal content selector 252 may be included in an ISP system providingIP-based television services, for example.

Again, a number of options for querying a database are known to thoseskilled in the art. In an embodiment, each targeted content provider 108may have a digital signature or other authentication information that ispassed with API calls. The front end servers may use this information tolimit accesses to the global database and to track queries for billingpurposes.

Preferably, the disclosed system and processes do not expose anysubscriber identifying information to the other entities involved. Eventhough managed servers 224 may be provided by the SSP 102, in anembodiment, no subscriber identifying information leaves the ISP system204 location. As shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, onlybehavioral data keyed to location identifiers and/or segmentation datakeyed to IP addresses leave the ISP location. In other embodiments, fullclickstream data—including page requests, search requests, and thelike—may be keyed to the account ID and passed to the SSP 102. It isgenerally preferable to remove identifying information before passingdata across any public network to help maintain the privacy of thesubscribers. As shown in the system embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 and2C, the targeted content provider 108 receives only IP addresses andassociated segmentation data. At least in part because IP addresses arenot statically assigned to subscribers, it will also be difficult forthe SSP 102 to identify specific individuals.

Sample Methods

Sample methods in accordance with the disclosure will now be set forthwith reference to FIGS. 3-6. FIG. 3 depicts a method of initializing andupdating the segmentations. In block 360, a subscriber 106 initiates alogin for his system 206 (such as with his login ID and password). TheISP system 204 accepts the login and password and checks it against itssubscriber database (block 362). If the login and password indicate acorrect subscriber, the ISP system 204 assigns an IP address (block 364)and returns it to the subscriber system 206 to complete the loginprocess (block 366). If the subscriber has not been initialized in thesegmentation system, a new account ID may then be generated andassociated with the subscriber. Similarly, the subscriber may alreadyhave an account ID that is added to the managed servers 224 look-uptable 230. This account ID is then associated with the newly assigned IPaddress for the subscriber (block 368). It is understood that othersystem triggers may initiate updates of the look-up table 230. Theseevents may include forced renews by the ISP system 204, expiration of anIP assignment from a DHCP, connection optimizations, and the like.

Continuing to FIG. 4, as a subscriber browses web sites, submits searchqueries, and the like, the requests are brokered through the ISP system204. For example, a subscriber might make a web site request or enter asearch query in block 470. This information is transmitted from thesubscriber's system 206 to the ISP system 204. In an embodiment, the ISPsystem 204 does at least two things. One, it relays the user's requestto the appropriate web site (block 472) and returns it to the subscribersystem 206 for display (block 474). Two, it creates a copy of the user'sweb site request and stores it in the browsing behavior database 230(block 476). In block 478, this data is then sent to the segmentationprocessor 112 to determine behavior segmentations. In an embodiment, thetraffic or behavior segmentations may be augmented with offline datasegmentation (such as demographic segmentations) and stored in theaccount-segment database 232. The IP address-account ID look-up tablecan then be used to create IP-segment database 240 (block 482), which isthen forwarded to the central data system 222 (block 484). The centraldata system 222 uses this data to update the global segmentationdatabase (block 486).

In an embodiment, the segments may be updated with each browsing requestcaptured and copied by the ISP system 204. However, it is unlikely thatthe segments would change greatly with single web site requests.Therefore, in an embodiment, either the ISP system 204 or the managedserver 224 or both maintain a record of traffic data associated with aparticular account ID for a given amount of time. For example, trafficdata for the past twenty-four hours, past week, past month, or the likemay be maintained. Then segments may be processed and associated withthe account ID for the traffic data from the past twenty four hours, thepast week, the most recent twenty-four hours of activity, the mostrecent week of activity, and the like, up to the amount of datamaintained. Further, a given subscriber's segments may be updated hourlyor substantially in real time as the subscriber engages in new activity.

The segmentation process can make use of a look-up table. For example,in an embodiment, the behavioral segmentation schema 110 includessegment classifications for various web sites, web pages within websites, and search term combinations. The behavioral segmentation module112 may thus compare the traffic data associated with a given account IDto the classifications in the schema 110, and may assign segments to theaccount ID for any matches found, or where some threshold number ofmatches is found (e.g., three distinct web site accesses within a givensegment).

As discussed above, demographic data or other offline data 234 may alsofactor into assigning segments. For example, an ISP subscriber may visitan electronics store web site, but demographic information may beavailable indicating that the household income is less than $50,000. Insuch a case, the ISP subscriber may fit into a “Value ConsumerElectronics” segment, rather than a “Premium Consumer Electronics”segment. Traffic data indicating a likely purchase event of a largescreen plasma television may alter the segmentation assigned, however.

FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment of a process for providing the segmentationinformation to targeted content providers 108 for use in selectingtargeted content. For example, certain web sites may include targetedadvertising blocks that are either managed by the web site operator or aseparate advertising entity. Rather than placing a consistentadvertisement or set of advertisements to all individuals viewing theweb site, the operator may wish to provide behaviorally targetedadvertisements to those most likely to be interested. For example, asubscriber requests a page that is serviced by an advertiser system 208(block 590). This request is forwarded to the ISP system 204, which inturn requests the page from the associated web site system 588 (block592). The web site system forwards the IP address to the advertiserseeking the appropriate advertisement to include in the web site (block594). As alluded to above, in some instances the web site operator andadvertiser may be the same entity. The advertiser system 208, in turnrequests the segmentation data for the IP address from the central datasystem 222 (this may be through the front end server 118 and API 120, inan embodiment). In various scenarios, different things may happen atthis point. The central data system 222 may check the IP address todetermine if it is from an associated—or participating—ISP system (block598). If it is, the IP address is used to request subscriber-levelsegmentations from the global segmentation database (block 5100).Whether the IP address is from an associated ISP system 104 or not, thecentral data system 222 can, in an embodiment, provide location segments(block 5102). This may be done by translating the IP address into anapproximated ZIP code or other location identifier and may beaccomplished through known methods. Either or both of the subscriber andlocation segmentations may then be returned (block 5102) to theadvertiser system 208, which uses segmentations to determine anappropriate targeted advertisement at block 5106. The advertisement isprovided to the web site operator, who forwards it along with the restof the web site contents, to the ISP system 204 (block 5108). In anembodiment, the advertiser system 208 instead may supply theadvertisement directly to the ISP system for forwarding to thesubscriber system, while the web site operator forwards the remainder ofthe web site contents. In either case, the advertisement and contents ofthe web site are forwarded by the ISP system 204 to the subscribersystem 206 for display at block 5110. In this way, a subscriber, who hasrecently spent time reviewing, for example, luxury automobile web sites,may then view a news site that has an advertisement for specialfinancing on a Mercedes Benz in the sidebar.

Preferably, one of at least three levels of information is provided. Inan embodiment, in one scenario, the IP address is from an associated ISPsystem 204, and the behavior and MOSAIC segments that correspond to thatIP address are provided to a requesting targeted content provider system208. In an embodiment, in a second scenario the IP address is not partof an associated ISP system 104, but the IP address can be mapped to aUnited States ZIP code, a United Kingdom postcode, or the like,behavioral segmentations based on the location, a MOSAIC segment, and/orother location segmentations corresponding to the locality is thenprovided to the targeted content provider system 208. In an embodiment,it may be possible that no match occurs; reasons for this may include,for example, that a subscriber has opted out of being included in thesystem, the IP address was not mappable for some reason, or a request tothe ISP for segmentation information timed out for any reason. In thiscase, the advertiser may not receive any segmentation data.

In another embodiment, three or four levels of segmentation responsescan be provided. First, in the lowest level, the IP address is mapped tothe most likely first three digits of a ZIP code or postal code, andthat is mapped to a MOSAIC or location-based segment, in an embodimentthis is accomplished through the location segmentation module 114. TheSSP 102 may also report information regarding the browsing trends ofusers falling into such a segment. This mapping preferably determinesthe most likely geographic location so that some information may bereported, rather than allowing returns that do not include segmentationinformation. Another implementation may attempt to trend the requestsfor any IP addresses whose locations cannot be determined.

In an embodiment, the next level includes getting the exact ZIP code orpostal code—and in the United States, can include ZIP+4—but similarlyreports a MOSAIC or location-based segmentation, and, optionally,browsing trends of other users in the same ZIP or postal code. In anembodiment, this may require an agreement with the ISP 104 that isassociated with the IP address in question. In an embodiment, a thirdlevel returns both location-based segments (like MOSAIC) and behavioralsegments. As described above, this can occur when there is an agreementwith the ISP system to provide traffic data and store trafficsegmentation data.

In an embodiment, there may also be a fourth level which actuallyreports information about the subscriber utilizing the IP address inquestion at that time. This could include information, such as thesubscriber's name, age, address, credit score, specific sites visitedand the like from the ISP account information database 228. Generally,due to privacy concerns, reporting at this level is likely to be on an“opt-in” basis. In an embodiment, this opt-in procedure may occurthrough the subscriber's ISP system 204. Alternatively, the SSP102—possibly through an associated front end server 118—may provide anopt-in procedure. In an embodiment, a subscriber may opt in at differentlevels or be in control of each specific item of information that can beforwarded to advertisers. For example, a subscriber may allowdemographic information, but not credit information or specific web sitevisits to be reported.

It is worth noting some particular privacy features of some embodimentsas described. Absent an opt-in to specific information, the variousplayers in the systems and methods cannot derive subscriber-identifyinginformation. For example, the SSP's central data system 222 cannotconnect IP addresses received from the advertiser systems with specificpersonally identifiable information, or in some instances, even browsingbehavior data (or click stream data) that it had previously receivedbecause it only receives browsing behavior data from the ISP systemassociated with a general location identifier. Additionally, advertisersthat query the segment processor, receive generic segmentationinformation in return, unless a subscriber has opted in for them to seespecific click stream data. Also because IP addresses are not static,the advertiser is not aware if an IP address on one day is associatedwith the same subscriber on another day.

All of the processes, process steps and components described herein,including those described as being performed by a particular entity suchas an ISP, SSP, or targeted content provider, may be embodied in, andfully automated via, software modules executed by one or more generalpurpose or special purpose computers/processors. The code modules may bestored in any type of computer-readable medium or computer storagedevice. Some functions may alternatively be implemented inspecial-purpose hardware to improve performance. The connections betweenthe targeted content provider systems 208, the central data system 222,and the ISP systems 204 may be through any appropriate communicationsmedium, such as a LAN, WAN, the Internet, a wired or wireless network, asatellite network, or the like. The ISP subscribers 106 may generallyinclude individuals or households who typically access the ISPs to gainaccess to Internet services, digital television services, digital radioservices, and the like. Subscribers use their ISP subscriber systems 206(typically computers, set-top boxes, routers, or the like) to connect totheir ISP system 204 through a dial-up connection, a cable modem, a DSLconnection, a LAN, a WAN, a WiFi, WiMax, or other wireless network, orthe like.

In an embodiment, an API includes four types of queries: (1) a requestfor all information held for a particular IP address; (2) a request asto whether a particular IP address is associated with specifiedattributes; (3) a request for all information held based on some otherknown attribute, e.g., ZIP code or name and address; and (4) a requestas to whether a particular individual based on name and address fitsspecified attributes. In an embodiment, the requests and responses canutilize XML, for example, the following may indicate a type 1 request:

<xml> <segment_request> <type>ip address</type><value>192.168.1.1</value> </segment_request> </xml>Responses would vary based on the type, but an example of a response tothe above inquiry may be:

<xml> <segment_response> <ip_address>192.168.1.1</ip_address><user_information> <is_in>Auto Web site Visitor</is_in> <is_in>ConsumerElectronics Browser</is_in><household_income>65000-90000</household_income> <education_level>SomeCollege</education_level> <zip_code>92626-0000</zip_code></user_information> </segment_response> </xml>

As indicated, <is in> may indicate behavior segments, and otherinformation, such as demographic information may also be returned in anembodiment.

In an embodiment, the API includes some measure of authentication (asmentioned briefly above) to restrict access to advertisers, who, forexample, have subscribed to the service. This authentication may includeIP filtering, passwords, some method of encryption, and/or the like.Preferably, an authentication process is automatic between theadvertiser systems and the API, to help keep the process quick.

Another benefit of authentication is that, in an embodiment, the API maytrack what advertisers are accessing the segmentation information. In anembodiment, accesses through the API may be metered, such as todetermine access fees chargeable to each advertiser, or the like. In anembodiment, an API fee may be based on the number of accesses ormatches. Higher fees can be levied where both behavior and locationsegments are reported, in an embodiment. In an embodiment, acorrespondingly lower fee could be charged to reflect the error marginof the IP address to ZIP code mapping. This revenue could be shared withthe ISPs, such as, for example, based on the matches to each ISP'ssubscriber base. Another option can be to charge a per-site license fee,and/or an ongoing monthly update fee, in an embodiment.

Sample Segmentation Schema

In an embodiment, the behavior segmentation schema 110 may define likelyinterests of population segments based on individual or group Internetsurfing behavior observed via the ISP. The schema may be built throughmarket research and trending data indicating which webpage and/or searchrequests are likely to indicate a particular hobby, interest, purchasingneed, or the like. The behavior segmentation schema 110 is preferablypublic or made known to partners, such as targeted content providers, sothat the targeted content providers can understand consistent trends insubscribers associated with the same segmentations. As described above,the key drivers of the assignment of behavior segmentations generallymay be based on the browsing behavior data 230 that the ISP system 204provides to the managed servers 224 and/or central data system 222, suchas, for example, web sites visited and search terms entered. Morespecific data may also be delivered by the ISPs and used forsegmentation, such as, for example, information regarding specific webpages visited at each site, links used (including click-through eventsfor advertisements), estimations or actual observed web site dwelltimes, and the like. Monitoring of downloads or electronic mail couldalso be possible, although this would most likely be implemented onlywith subscribers who choose to “opt in” to such monitoring.

In an embodiment, an ISP system 204 may also report demographicinformation, such as age, nationality, income bracket, occupation, andthe like, and/or other non-identifying information, which may be storedin the ISP account information database 228. ISPs may gather thisinformation directly from subscribers during service sign-up, separatesurveys, and/or the like, as well as indirectly through authorizedcredit checks, modeling likely characteristics based on non-identifyinginformation supplied, third party data sources, and/or the like.

In an embodiment, this demographic data or other offline data 234 mayprovide segmentation data, such as, for example, MOSAIC data, to bedetermined by the demographic segmentation processor 236. The MOSAICLifestyle database is a publicly available geodemographic segmentationsystem developed by Experian and AGS consisting of segments grouped into60 Lifestyle Clusters (or “types”) within 12 Lifestyle Groups. The basicpremise of geodemographic segmentation is that people tend to gravitatetowards communities with people of similar backgrounds, interests, andmeans. Thus data that is keyed to ZIP codes, ZIP+4, or other locationidentifiers can be analyzed to provide MOSAIC segmentations. Thevariables used in the creation of the MOSAIC typology include: race andethnic origin; age; family status; non-family household types, includingcollege dormitories and military quarters; travel to work; education;employment by industry and occupation; income; forms of income; housingtenure; housing type; vehicle ownership; household size; age of dwellingand tenure. The MOSAIC segmentation schema is refreshed annually basedon Census estimates.

In an embodiment, the behavior segmentation schema 110 follows thestructure of MOSAIC's 3 tiered structure. For example, one behavioralsegmentation schema may include: “groups,” “types,” and “segments.”Groups provide broad, but simple descriptions that help wheninterpreting more granular “types.” The types provide much moregranularity than “groups” and provide a good level of targeting for anadvertiser's broader marketing objectives. Segments can be more granularstill. These segments may allow advertisers to create their ownsegmentation schema (such as by combining different segments to createtheir own personalized “groups” or segmentations). A behaviorsegmentation schema that uses a different number of tiers, such as 1, 2,4 or 5, may alternatively be used. For example, in an embodiment, ratherthan or in addition to defining custom “groups,” an advertiser couldcreate custom “segments,” such as based on specific web site accessesand/or search term combinations.

Behavioral segments could, for example, include groups that include aVisited an Automotive Web site group (a subscriber who had visited a website in an “Automotive” category); a Visited a Retail Web site group (asubscriber who had visited a web site in the a “Shopping & Classifieds”category); and a Visited an Insurance Web site group (a subscriber whohad visited a web site in an “Insurance” category). More specific typescould then include, for example, a Premium Vehicle Browser type (asubscriber who visited, for example, one of www.mercedesbenz.com,www.porsche.com, www.bentley.com, or www.bmw.com); a ConsumerElectronics Shopper type (a subscriber who visited one of the web sitesin a “Shopping & Classifieds—Appliances & Electronics” sub-category of“Shopping and Classifieds”); and a Travel Insurance Purchaser (asubscriber who visited a specific travel insurance web site or thetravel section of a general insurer).

To continue the example schema, in an embodiment, the behavioralsegmentation criteria could include, for example, any of a number ofindividual web sites that have been categorized by the SSP system 202,stored in the mapping database 110, or otherwise created and accessibleto the SSP system 202. For example, Hitwise currently has categorizedover 1 million web sites in its database. Similarly, any possible searchterms may be utilized to create segments. It would also be conceivableto integrate target MOSAIC segments into these custom segments. Thesesegments could be custom groupings selected by an advertiser, forexample, based on their own market research or web site or searchpreferences.

FIG. 6 illustrates a screenshot that an embodiment of a system asdisclosed could provide to allow such custom segmentation. FIG. 7 alsohelps to illustrate the segmentation hierarchy of an embodiment. Forexample, “groups,” “types,” and “segments” could be displayed in ageneral tree structure. Check boxes next to each of these can beselected or unchecked to define the segmentation. In an embodiment, thecustom segment may be triggered if a user visits every selectedcriterion, any of the selected criteria, or some combination thereof.For complex segmentations, additional screens may be required toorganize which of the selections are required, which are optional andthe like.

In the case of advertiser custom groupings, in an embodiment, thesebehavior segments can be attached to unique IDs in the same manner asany other behavior segment. The central data system 222 may have afilter module or routine that ensures that the custom behavioralsegments are reported only to the advertiser that set up such segments.For example, a standard behavioral schema 110 used by the SSP 102 mayhave behavior segments—possibly at the group level—for “SportsEnthusiast” and “Consumer Electronics Purchaser—Video Games.” A specificadvertiser A may wish to find not only people who fall in these twocategories, but more specifically individuals who visited both espn.comand visited the Xbox 360 web site. This may become a custom segment“ESPN/XBox Fan.” When advertiser A requests segmentation information onan IP address used by a subscriber fitting this segment, it may thenserve an advertisement for a basketball video game that has licensed theESPN brand. In an embodiment employing an advertiser filter, however,Advertiser B in the same situation would be notified only that thesubscriber falls in the “Sports Enthusiast” and “Consumer ElectronicsPurchaser—Video Games” segments, and not that the subscriber falls inthe custom “ESPN/Xbox Fan” segment.

A key differentiation between MOSAIC and behavior segments ascontemplated in at least one embodiment is that whereas one householdcould only fall into one MOSAIC group and one MOSAIC type, it isintended that a household would potentially have multiple behaviorsegments. These segments can be attached based on behavior observed oversome arbitrary period, such as, for example, the most recent one week,two weeks, one month, one yearly quarter, and the like. The timingcomponent for the behavior segments also allows the behavior segments tochange over time to be up to date with more recent behaviors expressedby the subscriber. This may also provide for the opportunity to targetmultiple behavior segments rather than just a single behavior. Forexample, in an embodiment, an advertiser may be interested in targetinghouseholds in the market for both consumer electronics and personalcomputers, rather than one or the other.

Alternatives

Although the foregoing has been described in terms of certain preferredembodiments, other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art from the disclosure herein. For example, as describedabove, some embodiments of the described systems and methods may providesubscriber-level and location-level behavior segmentations; some mayprovide subscriber- and location-level demographic segmentations (orother segmentations based on offline data); still others may provideboth. The managed servers 224 and/or the central data system 222 may becontrolled, in various embodiments, by an independent segmentationservice processor 102, an ISP 104, any subsidiary of these, or the like.Various functions and modules also may be distributed among the ISPsystem 204 and any independent SSP systems differently than describedherein. For example, advertisers may query an ISP system 204 directlyfor segmentation data associated with an IP address. The segmentationschema described herein may be privately developed, maintained asproprietary, include publicly available segments, and the like. It isnot required that any specific schema, such as the described MOSAICschema, be used.

The described embodiments have been presented by way of example only,and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, thenovel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a varietyof other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, theinvention is not limited by the preferred embodiments, but is defined byreference to the appended claims.

1. A computer-implemented method of supporting targeting of content tousers, the method comprising: receiving, from an entity that providestargeted content to users, a request that identifies an IP address of anISP subscriber; in response to the request, determining whether the IPaddress can be mapped to subscriber-specific behavioral segmentationdata that is specific to, and based on Internet access activity of, saidISP subscriber; when the IP address can be mapped to saidsubscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data, returning at least thesubscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data to said entity inresponse to the request; and when the IP address cannot be mapped tosaid subscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data, identifying ageographic region corresponding to the IP address, and returningregion-specific segmentation data to the entity in response to therequest, said region-specific segmentation data being specific to thegeographic region, and not being specific to the ISP subscriber.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the subscriber-specific behavioralsegmentation data comprises an identifier of at least one category towhich the ISP subscriber has been assigned based on Internet accessactivity of the ISP subscriber.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein theregion-specific segmentation data comprises region-specific behavioralsegmentation data derived by performing an aggregated analysis ofInternet access activities of a plurality of ISP subscribers located insaid region.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the region-specificbehavioral segmentation data is derived from Internet access activitydata collected from a plurality of different ISP that provide service tosubscribers in said region.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the methodcomprises additionally returning said region-specific segmentation datato the entity when the IP address can be mapped to saidsubscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data.
 6. Acomputer-implemented method for enabling content providers to providetargeted content to users, the method comprising: generating a databasethat maps specific IP addresses to specific behavioral segments, saidmapping derived from behavioral data collected from each of a pluralityof Internet Service Providers (ISP), said behavioral data includinginformation collected by the ISPs regarding Internet access activitiesof their respective subscribers, said behavioral segments reflectingsubscriber interests; and providing content providers access to thedatabase via a query interface, said query interface configured toreceive a request that identifies an IP address, and to look up from thedatabase and return information identifying one or more behavioralsegments corresponding to the IP address.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the step of generating said database comprises: providing, to atleast first ISP of said plurality of ISPs, a behavioral segmentationsystem that applies a behavioral segmentation processes to behavioraldata collected by the first ISP; and receiving over a network, andstoring in said database, behavioral segmentation data generated by thebehavioral segmentation system.
 8. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising: receiving said behavioral data from each of the ISPs, andanalyzing the behavioral data in association with information aboutgeographic locations of the corresponding ISP subscribers to generatemappings of particular geographic regions to particular behavioralsegments; providing the content providers access, via said queryinterface, to said mappings of particular geographic regions toparticular behavioral segments.
 9. A system, comprising: a computer datarepository that maps specific IP addresses to specific behavioralsegments, said mapping derived from behavioral data collected from eachof a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISP), said behavioral dataincluding information collected by the ISPs regarding Internet accessactivities of their respective subscribers, said behavioral segmentsreflecting subscriber interests; and a server that providesnetwork-based access to the computer data repository via an interface,said interface configured to receive a request that identifies an IPaddress, and to look up from the computer data repository, and returninformation identifying, one or more behavioral segments correspondingto the IP address.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer datarepository further includes, and the interface provides access to, amapping of geographic regions to behavioral segments, said mappingderived from aggregated behavioral data collected from a plurality ofISPs.
 11. A computer-implemented method of supplying targetedadvertising to Internet users, comprising: (a) creating a first datasetmapping behavior segments to ISP subscribers, wherein each of said ISPsubscribers has an account ID and said behavior segments are based, atleast in part, on said ISP subscribers' web site accesses; (b)maintaining a second dataset mapping of account IDs to current IPaddresses corresponding to said ISP subscribers; (c) accepting arequesting IP address associated with a request for a web page, whereinthe web page includes at least one advertisement position; (d) usingsaid first and second datasets to retrieve one or more behavior segmentscorresponding to the ISP subscriber using said requesting IP address;and (e) selecting at least one advertisement for inclusion in said atleast one advertisement position, based, at least in part, on said oneor more retrieved behavior segments.
 12. The method of claim 1 whereinstep (b) is performed by an ISP system.
 13. The method of claim 12wherein steps (a) and (c) are performed by an entity distinct from theISP system.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein steps (a) is accomplishedwithout said distinct entity receiving any subscriber identifyinginformation from said ISP system.
 15. A computer-implemented method ofenabling the supply of targeted content to Internet users, comprising:(a) using an ISP's subscriber's web site accesses to generate one ormore behavioral segmentations associated with said ISP subscriber; (b)supplying an ISP system with a dataset mapping said one or morebehavioral segmentations to an account ID associated with said ISPsubscriber, wherein said ISP system includes a mapping of said accountID to one or more IP addresses associated with said ISP subscriber; (c)accepting a requesting IP address from a content targeting entity,wherein said IP address is associated with a web page request; (d)forwarding said requesting IP address to said ISP system; (e) receivingsaid one or more behavioral segmentations associated with the unique IDthat maps to said requesting IP address; and (f) providing said one ormore behavioral segmentations to said content targeting entity, whereinsaid content targeting entity can select content for inclusion in saidrequested web page, based, at least in part, on said one or morebehavioral segmentations.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said website accesses includes search term data.
 17. The method of claim 15,wherein said content includes an advertisement.
 18. The method of claim15, wherein step (d) further comprises: determining which of a pluralityof ISP systems controls said IP address; and wherein said IP address isforwarded to the ISP system that controls said IP address.
 19. Themethod of claim 18 wherein steps (c)-(f) are performed withoutperceptible lag for a user making said web page request.
 20. The methodof claim 15, wherein steps (a)-(f) are performed by an entity that isdistinct from the ISP.
 21. The method of claim 20 wherein the entityreceives no subscriber identifying information to complete step (a). 22.The method of claim 20, further comprising: (g) deriving geographic datafrom said IP address; and (h) supplying a location segmentation, based,at least in part, on said geographic data, to said advertiser, whereinsaid advertisement selection can further be based on said locationsegmentation.
 23. A computer-implemented method of enabling targeted website content comprising: (a) accepting an IP address corresponding to anISP subscriber system that has requested a web page from a requestingparty; (b) determining an ISP system associated with said IP address;(c) when said ISP system maintains a segmentation dataset, retrievingone or more subscriber segments from said segmentation dataset that areassociated with said IP address; (d) identifying a geographic regioncorresponding to said IP address; (e) determining a location segment,based, at least in part, on said geographic region; and (f) providing atleast one of said location segment or said one or more subscribersegments to said requesting party, wherein said requesting party can usesaid at least one of said location segment and said one or moresubscriber segments to help select targeted content for said web page.24. The method of claim 23 wherein said one or more subscriber segmentsand said location segment are based on demographic data.
 25. The methodof claim 23 wherein said one or more subscriber segments and saidlocation segment are based on behavioral data.
 26. The method of claim23 wherein step (f) includes communicating at least one of the followinglevels of segment information: (1) a location segment based on saidgeographic data including a modeled partial postal code; (2) a locationsegment based on said geographic data including a definite completepostal code; or (3) a location segment based on said geographic dataincluding a definite complete postal code and said one or more behaviorsegments.
 27. A system for enabling targeted advertising comprising: (a)means for accepting an IP address indicative of an ISP subscriber systemthat has requested a web page from a requesting party; (b) means fordetermining an ISP system that controls said IP address; (c) means forretrieving one or more behavior segments from said segmentation datasetthat are associated with said IP address, if said ISP system maintains asegmentation dataset; (d) means for identifying a geographic regioncorresponding to said IP address; (e) means for determining a locationsegment, based, at least in part, on said geographic region; and (f)means for providing at least one of said location segment or said one ormore behavior segments to said requesting party, wherein said requestingparty can use said at least one of said location segment and said one ormore behavior segments to help select an advertisement.
 28. A system forenabling delivery of targeted content to an Internet user, comprising:(a) a communications module adapted to communicate with a targetingentity and at least one ISP system; (b) a processing module; and (c) alocation segmentation module capable of generating a location segmentbased, at least in part, on geographic data determinable from an IPaddress; wherein said communications module accepts a requesting IPaddress from said targeting entity, said processing module determines anassociated ISP system associated with said IP address, saidcommunications module communicates said IP address to said associatedISP system and receives at least one behavior segment associated whensaid associated ISP system maintains a mapping of behavior segments toits subscribers, and said communications module sends an indication ofat least one of said one or more behavior segments or a location segmentbased on said requesting IP address to said targeting entity, which canuse said one or more segments to help determine content for a web pagebeing provided to said IP address.